Analysts look to iPod sales for signs

Analysts are estimating Apple will earn $0.43 cents per share on $4.54 billion in revenue, and iPod sales will be the focus as the company holds a conference call to discuss its March quarter financial results. As reported earlier by MacNN, American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu said he believes Apple will report iPod sales of 8.8 million units, and that the company will top its own estimates of $0.43 cents per share on revenue of $4.4 billion. The fact that Apple is in the middle of its transition to Intel-based Macs, and concerns about iPod shipments has led to a pullback in the company's stock, whose shares are down 4.5 percent this year, according to MarketWatch.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, however, said that those concerns are overblown, noting that the company has "too many moving parts" to reduce the value of its presence in the digital music market. Munster also pointed to the iPod "halo effect," saying that it should continue to drive new customers to the Mac platform.

Industry watchers are also talking about Apple's recently-released Boot Camp software, which allows Intel Mac users to install and run Microsoft Windows XP. Many have called the move a "game changer," and believe it will bring more Mac sales through the remainder of the year, according to the report.

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